Safety shield for climbing iron gaffs



Sept. 15,1942. M. D. WEED ETAL 2,296,074,

" SAFETY SHIELD FOR CLIMBING IRON GAFFS Filed Sept. 18, 1941 jf oz/ 3mm m eetl R92 enneiz Patented Sept. 15, 1942 SAFETY SHIELD FOR CLIMBING IRON I GAFFS Merlin D. Weed and Percy A. Bennett, Punxsutawney, Pa;

Application September 18, 1941, Serial No. 411,416

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a shield for the gaffs, spurs or spikes of climbing irons worn by linemen, and more particularly to a shield that is intended to be permanently attached to a climbing iron, and which can be quickly and easily.

when said irons are not actually in use; and

this results in considerable loss of time as linemen must remove the climbing irons in order to engage in ground Work so that the climbing irons are frequently applied and removed manyv times in the course of a days work.

It is therefore a primary aim of this invention to provide a shield carried by the climbing iron and which can be quickly and easily applied over the spurs or gaifs thereof to prevent injury being inflicted by the gaifs to thereby eliminatethe necessity of removing the-climbing irons while linemen are engaged in ground work, thus eifect ing a material saving in the working time of linemen.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a shield which will also form a protection for the gaffe while the climbing irons are removed from the feet and legs and while being placed in truck compartments and otherwise handled, to eliminate accidents which frequently occur under such circumstances.

Still another object of the invention is to provide gaff shields which cannot be lost or misplaced and which will always be readily available when their use is desired, but which will not interfere with the normal use of the climbing irons to which they are connected.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

. Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a climbing iron equipped with the safety shield, and with the safety shield shown in full lines in an operative position, and in dotted lines in an inoperative position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary edge view in elevation looking toward the outer side of the climbing iron, and showing the shield in an operative position thereon, i

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 33 of Figur 2, showing the gait and a portion of the climbing iron in elevation,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view looking toward the lower portion of the inner side of the shield, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal substantially central sectional view of a portion of the shield shown latched in an inoperative position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different Views, I0 designates generally a linemans climbing ironincluding a gall, spike or spur-II, which is disposed on the outer side of the lower part thereof, and which extends downwardly and outwardly and terminates in a pointed end l2. The gaff II is formed on the outer side of the bar portion I3, which engages the inner side of the foot and leg, and adjacent the lower end or foot engaging portion thereof. The climbing iron I0, including the parts II and I3, as previously described, and as illustrated in the drawclimbing iron I 0.

The safety gaif shield I4 includesan eye member I5 which is suitably attached to a portion I 3, from which it projects from the outer side thereof. The eye member I5 is disposed above and near the upper, secured end of the gaff I I and forms an anchor for one end of a contractile coil spring I6 which is fastened thereto at one end thereof. An elongated plate I! is provided with an opening I8, adjacent one end thereof, in which the opposite, free end of the spring I6 is fastened for normally supporting the plate I! in a dependingposition relatively to the eye member I5. The opposite, free end of the plate I! is turned inwardly and back upon itself to form a loop portion I9. The terminal portion 20 of the loop I9 is disposed against the inner side of the plate I! and may be suitably secured thereto as by means of soldering or welding. Directly below the secured end 20, the loop portion I9 is provided with a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 2| which is provided with air triangular shaped opening 22, as best seen in Figure 4. The loop I9 is also provided with a circular opening 23 in its outer side. A hook 24 projects from the outer side of the portion l3 above and spaced a substantial distance from the eye member H). The hook 24 is provided with an upwardly extending substantially circular head 25, as seen in Figure 2, which is eccentrically disposed relatively to the shank of the hook, which extends outwardly from the member l3.

The spring I6, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and in dotted lines in Figure 1, is in each case shown stretched or under tension for urging the plate 11 toward the eye member i5.

position and with the pointed end I2 of the gaff l disposed in the loop 19 and with the triangular. opening 22 engaging the gaff H near its pointed end l2, and at a point where the cross sectional shape of the gaff ll corresponds to the shape of the opening 22'. In dotted lines in Figure l, and in Figure 5, theplate I1 is shown extending up wardly and away from the gaff Hand adjacent the outer side of the portion I3, and with the shank of the hook 24, extending through the opening 23 and with its head 25 engaging against a portion of the inner side of the loop l9, above the opening 23. It will thus be apparent that in either of the two positions of the safety shield I4, as shown in Figures 1 and ,5, the contractile springv IE will urge the plate H in a direction to hold itin engagement either with thepointed'end l2 of the gaff II or with the hook 24. With the safety shield l4 positioned, as seen in full lines in Figure l and in-Figures 2 and 3, it will be readily apparent that the loop I9 will form asocket for enclosing the pointed end l2, and the plate I! willbe disposed on the outer side of the gaff H so asto shield the gaff to preventit fromcausing injury. The safety shield M. can be moved from this its operative position, by a downwardrpull on the plate I! to disengage the loop is from the gafi ll, after which the plate I! and spring I6 can be swung upwardly to its dotted line position of. Figure 1, and by expanding the spring, the opening 23 can be positioned so, that the hook head 25can bepassedtherethrough. By then releasinglthe-plate I! the spring I 6 will retract sufficiently to position the loop 19, as seen in Figure5, to prevent it frombeconiing accidentally disengaged from the hook 24, and to thushold the shield H! in an inoperative position awayv from the gaff so that the gaff l I can be usedin aconventional manner. By an upward and outward movement of the plate H, it will be readily obvious that it can be disengaged from the hook 24 and swung downwardly, after which by a downwardlpuli on-the plate to stretch the spring IS, the opening 22 canlbe brought into a position to receive the point I 2 of the gaff I i and the spring I6 will urge the plate upwardly to retain the point I2 in theloop l9. 7

Various modifications and changes are con- In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the plate I! is shown in a dependingtemplated and may obviously be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

We claim as our invention:

1. A climbing iron gaff shield comprising a contractile coil spring adapted to be anchored to a climbing iron above the gaff thereof, a plate connected at one end thereof to the free end of the spring, said plate being provided with a socket adjacent its free end adapted to receive the 7 pointed, free end of the gaff, said spring yieldably holding said socket portion in engagement with the gaff, and a hook mounted on the outer side of the climbing iron and above the anchored end of the spring for engaging the plate to hold it in an inoperative position on the outer side of the climbing iron and away from the gaff, and said spring acting to yieldably hold the plate in engagement with the hook, 2; A climbing iron gaff shield comprising a contractile coil spring, means for anchoring the springat one end thereof to the outer side of a climbing ironabove its gaff, an elongated plate attached atone end thereof to the free endof the spring I and depending therefrom, the lower, free end ofthe plate being turned inwardly and back upon itself to form a loop portion, said loop portion being provided with an opening on its inner side, said opening being adapted to receive the pointed, free end of the climbing iron gaif, said spring and plate being disposed on, the outer side of the climbing iron and being swingable to a position away from th e gaff, and means for detachably holding the parts in said last mentioned inoperative position V 3. A device as in claim 2, said means including a hook projecting from the outer side of the climbing iron, and said plate being provided with an opening in its outer side'for detachably receiving the hook, said spring acting to hold the plate in a position to prevent accidental disengagement of the hook fromjthe plate.

4. A shield for climbing iron g afis, comprising a contractilevc oil spring adapted to be anchored at one end thereof to the outer side of a climbing iron above its gafi, and an elongated plate connected at one end to the opposite end of the spring, the opposite endof the plate being turned inwardlyand back upon itself, to provide a loop having an opening in the back part thereof adapted to receive the pointed end of the gafi", said opening being sized to engage the gaff above and adjacent its point for holding the point within the loopand out of contact therewith, and said spring yieldably urging the loop upwardly and toward the gaff. d d

MERLIN WEED. 7 PERCY A. BENNETT. 

